Thursday, 14 September 2017

Are You A Hopeless Romantic?

“Postman’s bag is always heavy because it carries the life itself:
It carries all the sorrows and all the joys, all the worries and all the
hopes!”― Mehmet Murat ildan

Have you ever waited for the postman to arrive? I am sure you have,
if you are like me. And do you ever wonder what is in their mailbag? Of
course there are bills, and junk mail, which can be a treasure trove for
collage artists. But do you ever wonder about the other mail…the
messages of delight or passion or longing? And is there still room for
them in the age of texts and email?

I recently received a nice collection of acrylics from Artistcellar.
They were new to me and I couldn’t wait to give them a go. The Dylusion
Paint series is blendable and quick drying, manufactured with journaling
in mind. The colours are vivid in the wide mouth tubs. I wondered if
they would keep this wonderful quality once applied to my substrate.

I decided to work on illustration board. Rather than prep with gesso,
I simply lightly sanded the surface and applied the Squeezed Orange
Paint. Coverage was quick and easy, although it didn’t dry quite as fast
as I thought it would. But sure enough, the orange kept its vibrant
glow after drying. I next stenciled with Quasi from the Artistcellar Quasicrystals Series using the Dylusion Spray in Bubble Gum Pink.
Although you can still see the stencil if you look closely, the Paint
absorbed the colour. Not what I had in mind for this project, but a
finish to keep in mind for the future.

I wanted to put the rest of the colours through their paces, so I
sponged them randomly through my Diamond stencil. With the open stencil
area it was easy to see how they performed. Again, as with the Squeezed Orange paint, I am pleased to say Vibrant Turquoise, Fresh Lime, and London Blue were easy to work with and held the brilliant colour you can see in the tubs…even after layering paint on paint.

With the background finished I continued by attaching a vintage photo
I found in an old magazine. The postage stamps and Priority label just
seemed to fit so well with our postman. I found a rubber stamp with
beautiful calligraphy. Could the message on the stamp be from a letter
in his mailbag? Why not? I inked the stamp with Vibrant Turquoise Paint
and stamped on to very fine tissue paper, then attached with matte
medium to the board. The final touch was to stencil the Infra image in
gold.

Maybe I’m just a hopeless romantic, but seeing the postman with his
mailbag does pull at the heart strings. And yes, I believe there is a
place for "real" mail in the age of texts and email. My question is
this: Is there someone who would love receiving a real letter from you?
And would decorating it with your stunning art bring joy to you both?
Many believe that letters mingle souls. I know I do.

About Me

Artists, dancers, writers, and poets search for a Muse for guidance, inspiration, passion, and the spark of creativity.

As a member of Sisterhood of the Muse, my Blog is home to the work of artists, and like-minded souls, who hear her voice and allow the fascination to begin.

As a visual artist and dancer, I enjoy exploring the
seduction of spirit and following the journey wherever it may take me. Utilizing a variety of techniques, my work is a
convergence of the traditional with the digital...in both the visual and performing arts.

Above all, I am a great believer in Synchronicity and love the idea that it can lead to the most profound aha moments we can experience in life and in Art.

My desire is to share what inspires me, entertain those who choose to visit, and perhaps spark the sense of wonder and creativity that dwells in us all.